📖 🍂Isabelline Wheatear -Collieston 19/10/24

Saturday 19th October 2024 🌤️14C ~ S @ 8MPH ~ The ABZ WhatsApp group reported, quoting, 'a scary-looking Wheatear at Collieston,' which was observed in the late afternoon by Catriona Reid, a warden at Forvie NNR. Shortly after, assistance arrived, and the initial suspicion was that it might be an Isabelline Wheatear. 

One of my images of the Wheatear on the fencepost. 

I arrived at the location approximately an hour after the first reports, parking at the nature reserve before walking back along the B9003 to a nearby farm. There, I met a group of familiar faces observing a Wheatear species perched on a fence post. 

Another image of the Isabelline Wheatear in harsh light! 

Initially, there was some debate as to whether it was a Northern Wheatear, but the bird seemed different. After spending time observing it and consulting with the more experienced of the group, the consensus grew. Observers who had seen and photographed the bird in flight and on the ground before I arrived pointed out its posture, build, short tail, long legs, the clear dark alula, and the thick, distinct black band on its tail, among other characteristics. Considering their expertise and the additional media commentary and photographs I reviewed today, there is now a general consensus that the bird is indeed an Isabelline Wheatear, marking the first sighting here since 1979 and a great find by Catriona.

Another of my photos of the Isabelline Wheatear.

📖 🍂Pallas's Warbler -Rattray 15/10/24

Thursday 15th October 2024 🌤️17C ~ SE @ 6MPH ~ After heavy overnight rain & beautiful clear skies this morning there was always a chance that something good had dropped in along the coast and thankfully it had! A Pallas's Leaf Warbler at Rattray Lighthouse Cottages, found in the early morning by Andy Carroll.

Rattray Head Lighthouse & the now derelict cottages. 

After hearing the news, I decided to drive over. The area, which I regard as part of my 'extended patch', is about a 55-minute drive and a place where I frequently go birding. Due to the flooded tracks, I opted to park near the ruins of St. Mary's Chapel and walk down. 

Whopper Swans - Recent arrivals from Iceland.

I genuinely prefer walking anyway because you can see so much more. As soon as I started, I was welcomed by the clamor of hundreds of Whooper Swans and the cries of thousands of Pink-footed Geese, resounding through the sky and across the adjacent fields, an awe-inspiring spectacle. Close to the curve near Old Rattray Cottage, I spotted about thirty Tree Sparrows. As I walked toward the Lighthouse Cottages, I noticed a Corn Bunting and a few Reed Buntings perched on the wires. Further out in the fields, there were more Pink-footed Geese, as well as Skylarks, Linnets and a huge flock of Starlings.

Lesser Whitethroat - In Firs just outside the gate.

Two other birders drove by on their way out; one of them was Andy the finder, who mentioned that there had been no further sightings of the Pallas's in the last hour. Upon my arrival at the cottages, I was welcomed by the sight of a nice Lesser Whitethroat among the firs, and soon noticed several Goldcrests darting about. The heavy rain from the previous night had clearly grounded some birds.

Pallas's Leaf Warbler - My best shot of the day!

In an hour, I had noted two Chiffchaffs, one possibly a Siberian, a Willow Warbler, two Tree Sparrows, and a number of Goldcrests in the double digits. I opted for a walk around the perimeter fences, during which a male Stonechat momentarily perched on the fence. On my return to the cottages, I spotted some movement at the foot of some sycamores - it turned out to be the elusive Pallas's Leaf Warbler! I quickly took some photographs and then alerted the two other birders on site. After another half hour of watching the bird I headed home. *There are also two Cattle Egrets at Strathbeg, but I didn't have the time to visit. If they remain, I'll try and get over early next week.

📖 🍂Shetland 24 - Part Three

 Wednesday October 9th 2024...

Dazza is arriving this afternoon to stay for the rest of the week, so I needed to be in the south of the island at Sumburgh Airport to pick her up by mid-afternoon.

Today's initial destination was to see a Pallas's Warbler at Swining, near Vidlin in the north-west of the mainland, approximately a 40-minute drive away. The previous night's extreme winds persisted upon my arrival, presenting less than ideal conditions for locating such a diminutive warbler. Fortunately, several other birders were present, including the 'Brandon boys', and it wasn't long before I spotted the bird. Despite the conditions, it showed quite well at times.

Pallas's Leaf Warbler - A magical sight seeing this stunning Siberian visitor.

*The Pallas's Leaf Warbler is a bird species that breeds in the mountainous forests stretching from southern Siberia to northern Mongolia and northeastern China. Known for its strong migratory patterns, it primarily winters in southern China and the neighboring regions of Southeast Asia. However, recent decades have seen a rise in their presence in Europe during autumn, with these tiny birds journeying over 3,000 miles.

Pallas's Warbler - Out in the open, displaying it's prominent head pattern.

Having enjoyed observing the Pallas's Warbler, I made my way to Brae Community Woodland, a renowned spot for discovering rare species. My visit in 2021 rewarded me with my first sighting of a Red-eyed Vireo in Scotland. Upon arrival, I noticed numerous Redwings foraging in the leaf litter, accompanied by several Blackbirds. Unexpectedly, a Ring Ouzel burst into flight, disappearing into the distance before I could even raise the camera. 

Redwing - A recent arrival.

As I continued  my walk a Yellow-browed Warbler called, making a fleeting appearance before I noticed three Mealy Redpolls. In a significant taxonomic overhaul, Redpolls will now be consolidated into one species, which means Lesser, Mealy, and Arctic will all be known simply as Redpolls. Consequently, a birders life lists diminishes by two! It likely won't be long before all Crossbills are grouped together as well, effectively removing the controversial Scottish Crossbill from the debate.

Mealy Redpoll - REDPOLL,  Enjoying a a rest & seemingly not bothered by my presence. 

The mid-morning news announced a possible Common Nighthawk sighting on Yell, but I opted to wait, drawing on lessons from past experiences. Subsequently, the bird was found again and accurately identified as a European Nightjar, which was still a delightful find. Unfortunately, because I had to pick up Dazza, I couldn't take the chance of getting stuck on Yell, so I chose to forgo the opportunity.

Wheatear - My only sighting of this years trip.

I spent the afternoon by the airport at Virkie and Grutness, where the tide was against me. At the Ness Boating Club, I had a short walk around the ruins and noted a Wheatear, which was, surprisingly, my first sighting this trip. A Ring-Ouzel flew from the small beach onto the sheep nearby fields, but I lost sight of it. Offshore, numerous Gannets dove while a Red-throated Diver, Black Guillemot, and several Kittiwakes were also noted. Along the shoreline, Ringed Plovers, Sanderlings, Bar-tailed Godwits, Turnstones, and Redshanks before I went to pick up Dazza from the terminal.

Thursday October 10th 2024...

Siberian Chiffchaff - One of two at Maywick.

It was Dazza's first full day, so we dedicated most of our time to walking and exploring her favourite spots, all while attempting to expand her year list. As a working girl, her list typically grows on weekends and holidays, yet it remains an impressive one. We ended up back at Maywick and although there was no sign of Saturdays Red-breasted Flycatcher we enjoyed a nice walk and did manage a couple of Siberian Chiffchaffs and a Yellow-browed Warbler. 

Yellow-browed Warbler - A nice spot by Dazza.

We had just settled into our accommodation for the day when news of a Lapland Bunting sighting at Mossy Hill reached us, only a 15-minute trip away. As we hadn't seen one since relocating to Scotland, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to add to our Scottish Lists, so we opted to try our luck. Mossy Hill serves as a communication array, and the bird was spotted about halfway up the access road. We were fortunate that a car on its way down stopped to inform us of the bird's location. No sooner had we stopped than Dazza spotted the bird along the roadside. A quite confiding bird and I managed to obtain a number of photos in the now fading light. 

Lapland Bunting - Likely passing through from its Arctic breeding grounds en route to its wintering grounds in France.

Friday October 11th 2024...

On our final full day, as the rarity scene settled, we began a short distance from our accomodation in Sandwick, where a Cattle Egret was seen grazing in a field among sheep. After parking near the church there was initially no sign until we spotted the bird emerging from behind, yes you guessed it, a sheep.

Cattle Egret - Our second for Shetland.

From here we decided to check out the hide at Loch Spiggie. Historically, Loch of Spiggie was a voe (a Shetland term for a fjord or inlet) that became isolated by a forming sandbar. It's known as "the only moderately large loch" in Shetland's South Mainland and is the fourth longest loch in the archipelago. The day was fairly calm and sunny, yet the position of the hide caused issues with sun glare. Despite this, we managed to spot a Greater Scaup and a couple of Slavonian Grebes on the loch, along with a few Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck, Whooper Swans and a single female Pintail. We also noted Dunlin and Snipe on the periphery. We spent the remainder of the morning in Lerwick, the only town in Shetland. Although its population stands at around 7,500, nearly half of the island's 22,000 residents live within a 10-mile radius of the town.

After lunch, we strolled along the cobblestones at Grutness, hoping to spot Snow Buntings. As we neared the small pool adjacent to the access road, we inadvertently startled a Grey Phalarope that was spinning in its distinctive way just off the road. I slammed on the brakes, yet the bird flew off before I could photograph it. Despite a thorough search, it remained elusive. Indeed, it was the one that got away!

Snow Bunting

Our final walk was around Hoswick where, after dipping a couple of times we finally managed to catch up with an apparent Siberian Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca blythi at the visitor centre car park. Time will ultimately reveal whether this is confirmed.

Lesser Whitethroat - An apparent Siberian Lesser Whitethroat Curruca curruca blythi.

Another fantastic week on Shetland, complete with a couple of 'lifers'! The winds dictated the experience, leading to no sightings of North American species this time. But that's the beauty of Shetland; it's all about the whims of the wind! See you next year!!

📖 🍂Shetland 24 - Part Two

Monday October 7th 2024...

Today, I secured a booking for the ferry to Unst, the UKs most northerly island. Despite being as far north as southern Greenland, Unst is highly accessible, boasting smooth, modern roads and regular vehicle ferries heading north. To reach Unst, you must pass through Yell, the second largest of the Shetland Islands. There are scheduled daily ferries that operate frequently between Toft (Mainland) and Ulsta (Yell), as well as between Gutcher (Yell) and Belmont (Unst). It is advisable to allocate 30 minutes for the drive between Ulsta and Gutcher.

I headed straight to Valyie at the northern end of Unst, where a Paddyfield Warbler had been sighted for several days in a crop field. A Lanceolated Warbler was also spotted nearby. Upon arrival, I found about twenty birders observing the crop field. Across the track, a few large lenses were mounted next to a wall, seemingly in anticipation of the Lanceolated Warbler's emergence.

Paddyfield Warbler - Special thanks to Martin Joyce, a friend from my Brandon Marsh days, for capturing this excellent image the day before my visit. 

Resembling a Reed Warbler with a more pronounced eye-stripe, the Paddyfield Warbler is a rare visitor. Observations are mostly recorded during the autumn, particularly from up in the Northern Isles. It's breeding range extends from Romania to Mongolia, while it winters from Iran to China.

I devoted roughly 90 minutes here before a heavy shower, enjoying sporadic but occasionally clear sightings of the Paddyfield Warbler as it emerged between gaps or momentarily perched on the crops. This was a 'lifer' for me!! Regarding the Lanceolated Warbler, it remained elusive throughout my visit, so I am thankful for the outstanding views I had of one in Shetland back in 2021. 

Common Rosefinch - A quick encounter!

Overnight, there was a significant influx of thrushes, mainly Redwings and Blackbirds, observed in the surrounding trees as I anticipated the Paddyfield Warbler's emergence. Among them, a Ring Ouzel swiftly dropped down and crossed the adjacent fields before disappearing from view. Shortly after, a bird zipped into the sycamores behind me and perched on a branch. To my delight, it was a Common Rosefinch; I managed to snap a few photos before it flew off again. Other sightings included a Chiffchaff, a Blackcap, and a Brambling. Then news of a Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler came through which had been found back on the mainland at Garth!

The small car ferry from Gutcher (Yell) to Belmont (Unst)

The chance of spotting another lifer and a bird high on my list was too good to miss, so I opted to try for an earlier ferry back to the mainland. Despite the challenges, I managed to reach Garth an hour before sunset. After parking at the church, I jumped over the fence and joined around twenty other birders on site. Although I'm not keen on 'organized flushes', I was taken aback when, during one, the bird suddenly appeared before me! I concede that the flush was advantageous, as I likely would not have spotted this infamously elusive bird otherwise, which leaves me with somewhat ambivalent feelings but nevertheless another lifer!

Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler - In the fading light I'm managed a single image.

Amongst birders, the diagnostic row of white tips on the tail and inner wing feathers of this rare visitor from Siberia mean it is known as a "PG Tips". Most records of Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler come from the Northern Isles, with Fair Isle particularly well represented. The sight of one of these diminutive birds is still enchanting, especially when considering they have journeyed over 3,000 miles from their breeding grounds in the Far East.

Tuesday October 8th 2024...

First stop of the day at Burn of Hjugalswater for Arctic Warbler.

My day started with an Arctic Warbler at Bridge of Fitch, located in a burn known as Hjugalswater. This sighting would mark my fourth Arctic Warbler since relocating to Scotland in late 2020. Upon my arrival, it was great to catch up with my old birding buddies from Brandon Marsh who were just departing. This is their inaugural visit to Shetland, and they seem to be enjoying an excellent week so far!

Arctic Warbler - Capturing a photograph of an individual full of energy and constantly on the move proved to be a challenge.

The Arctic Warbler is a  diminutive warbler which boasts a breeding range spanning from Norway to the Bering Strait, reaching into western Alaska. These populations migrate to southeast Asia for the winter. Predominantly, records in Scotland indicate that their arrival is more concentrated in autumn than in spring.

Today was a quieter day for spotting rarities, perhaps due to the very strong winds having a negative impact, so I opted to visit Kergord Woodland again for a stroll. Upon my arrival, it appeared that the Olive-backed Pipit observed on Sunday had been relocated to the opposite side of the woodland. I encountered the Brandon boys' again, who were also searching for the bird, and together we caught brief glimpses of it during our search. I departed soon after for Hoswick. The Snow Bunting continued to visit the Orca car park, and I enjoyed some excellent sightings of a Yellow-browed Warbler, which are abundant around the islands currently, before returning to my accommodation for an earlier finish.

Yellow-browed Warbler - Along the burn at Hoswick.

I spent the evening at the Brandon boys' accommodation, reminiscing over takeaway. Later, we went to the local pub, where I had a very enjoyable evening with some familiar faces.

A Few More Images of the Day...

Rock Dove - But is it a wild one? Great article HERE

Dunlin on the shoreline at Hoswick.

Rock Pipit - Abundant around the Island.

📖 🍂Shetland 24 - Part One

As another remarkable week in Shetland concludes, composing this post and sifting through my myriad of photographs unleashes a deluge of memories. This marks my fourth consecutive October visit since relocating to Scotland in 2020, and I remain astonished by the distinctiveness of each year. 

Shetland, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom.

Migratory passerines frequently find themselves at the mercy of the weather, as varying conditions and wind directions impact different species based on their points of origin and migration path orientations. In autumn, the Shetland Islands become a haven for numerous migratory and stray birds that are either disoriented or en route southward. This year, my visit coincided with a pronounced north, northeast wind pattern, which at times shifted to the east, creating favorable conditions for the arrival of some Siberian strays.

Saturday October 5th 2024 Day One...

Loganair ATR 42 - Departing back to Aberdeen from Sumburgh Shetland.

My Loganair flight from Aberdeen touched down at Sumburgh around 8 am. After picking up my rental car and consulting the various information groups—so crucial for birdwatching in Shetland—I set off for my first destination, a Little Bunting near Lerwick.

Little Bunting - Quite unperturbed by our presence. 

The Little Bunting breeds in the taiga of northeastern Europe and northern Eurasia, extending to the Russian Far East. It migrates to winter in the subtropics of northern India, southern China, and the northern regions of Southeast Asia. This hardy little bunting is renowned for its tameness, allowing both myself and several other birders to approach closely as it actively fed in the sycamore trees.

Little Bunting - This doughty little bird makes a formidable journey even to turn up in Europe.

My next stop was Hoswick, a settlement in Sandwick on the south mainland.. The locals are accustomed to birders wandering about the lanes, as it's known to be a prime spot. A stroll to the now-closed Orca Inn car park and along the burn that runs through the village and down to the shoreline can be quite fruitful. At the Orca, nestled among the sycamores and pines, there were three Yellow-browed Warblers, a Goldcrest, a Blackcap, and, to my surprise, a Snow Bunting that occasionally flew in to forage. While walking the burn, three Bramblings darted into the willows but quickly departed, and above, several Redwings journeyed past, uttering their distinctive 'tseep' calls.

Snow Bunting - It was quite a surprise when this female landed in the car park.

My next stop was Maywick, a quaint hamlet boasting a beautiful and somewhat undiscovered beach for a reported Red-breasted Flycatcher. On arrival there were several other birders enjoying scoped views of the Flycatcher in a garden below the roadside and I spend time watching the bird flitting through the willows and occasionally perching. Noteworthy sightings also included Yellow-browed Warbler, Siberian Chiffchaff and in the bay three Great Northern Divers, still sporting summer plumage and a couple of 'Tysties' Black Guillemots. Occasionally, a group of eight Twite would land on the overhead wires; the one captured in the photograph below chose to have a quick drink by the roadside.

Twite - A quick drink on the roadside.

Departing from Maywick, I traveled southward to Grutness, a quaint settlement and headland at the southernmost point of the main island. Situated near Sumburgh Head, Grutness is where the ferry connecting the Shetland Mainland with Fair Isle leaves from and a good place to park. As I walked back past the small pool along the access road, I noticed a few Dunlin, Turnstone, and Sanderling feeding. I paused at the walled garden where I saw several House Sparrows pecking at the ground. Not long after, I spotted a Siberian Chiffchaff, and shortly afterwards, a burst of white revealed an exceptionally pristine Lesser Whitethroat. I managed a few quick photos before the bird departed but it was a stunner! 

Lesser Whitethroat - Probably an Eastern bird 'Blythi' 

During a stop at the Pool of Virkie, Shetland's largest expanse of tidal sand and mudflats, I found the tide nearly full. However, I spotted a few Curlews, Redshanks, Ringed Plovers, Snipe and Bar-tailed Godwits. After inspecting the small willow patch where I had seen a Blyth's Reed Warbler during my summer visit, I headed off to my accommodation in Cunningburgh.

Bar-tailed Godwits - Pool of Virkie

Sunday October 6th 2024...

This morning, my initial visit was to Clickimin Loch in Lerwick to see the Barred Warbler that had been spotted along the path for several days.

Barred Warblers are a regular scarce passerine in Shetland where it occurs mainly between late August and late October, spring passage records in Britain are very rare. The vast majority of British records are of first-year birds, with adults occurring only exceptionally rarely. They breed across Central Europe, extending eastward to central southern Siberia and northern Mongolia, and southward to the Black Sea and southern Kazakhstan. Their wintering grounds are located in East Africa.

Barred Warbler - The largest Curruca Warbler & strongly migratory.

Barred Warbler - Feeding quite happily in sycamores despite our proximately. 

I hadn't seen a Common Rosefinch anywhere since my initial visit to Shetland in 2020, so when a sighting was reported in Melby, I decided to try my luck. Melby is a quaint coastal hamlet; Sandness is the closest settlement, and the Islet of Holm of Melby is situated just offshore. On arrival a good number of common waders were feeding in the bay and just offshore Gannets were busy fishing, a spectacular sight in itself. After a considerable search, I finally spotted the bird making intermittent appearances on a fence, located a bit farther down the shoreline than initially reported.

The Common Rosefinch typically visits the UK in autumn, predominantly in September and October. These visitors are usually immature birds sporting a relatively nondescript brown plumage. They are transient, migrating southward. There have been occasional instances of nesting pairs in Scotland. It's breeding range is extensive, spanning from Scandinavia and Eastern Europe to Kamchatka in Russia, with isolated populations across Central Europe. Come autumn, they journey to India, Southeast Asia, and Southwest China to spend the winter.

Common Rosefinch - Looking a little forlorn in the drizzle! 

My final destination of the day was Kergord Woods, nestled into the slopes of Weisdale Valley in Central Mainland, the most ancient and expansive woodland on the island. My purpose was to see an Olive-backed Pipit, another rare autumn visitor. The Olive-backed Pipit's breeding grounds span southern, central-northern, and eastern Asia, including northeastern European Russia. It undertakes long-distance migration to spend the winter in southern Asia and Indonesia. They display terrestrial foraging behavior, scurrying on the ground in search of food and when startled, they often flee into trees. One can imagine the difficulty in spotting this bird, yet thankfully, numerous birdwatchers were armed with thermal imagers, now a staple for the astute bird enthusiast. While I personally do not use one, I am grateful that many others do on such occasions.

Olive-backed Pipit - I was quick off the mark when suddenly the bird flew into trees.

An excellent first couple of days on Shetland and there's more to follow in Part Two.

📖 🍂Snow Goose - 29/09/2024

Sunday 29th September 2024🌤️8C ~ SE @ 12MPH ~ A White-morph Snow Goose was sighted alongside Pink-footed Geese from the Waulkmill Hide yesterday along the Ythan River, but regrettably, I couldn't make it there. 

Autumn has arrived if force.

Despite this, I chose to start early today, Sunday, to see if the bird was still there. To my astonishment, I encountered thousands of newly arrived Pink-footed Geese, which was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. The birds were dispersed along the river and throughout the adjacent fields. Nevertheless, the spectacle at one point was truly magnificent to witness! Fortunately, I managed to get some good scoped views of the Snow Goose both in flight & over the fields after another visit on Tuesday, along with five newly arrived Barnacle Geese and, of course, the thousands of Pink-footed Geese.

📖 🍂Easterlies - 27/09/2024

After my last update, we experienced a brief spell of north-westerly winds. These quickly shifted to easterlies for a number of days, a change that often increases the likelihood of more interesting occurrences along the Aberdeenshire coast. This change resulted in a significant influx of Yellow-browed Warblers, which breed in Siberia and make their way here annually as they head south-west.

Collieston - A real hotspot on occasions.

My regular birding areas have been abuzz with numerous sightings of Yellow-browed Warblers, including three spotted in the lighthouse cottage gardens at Rattray on the 21st, and additional sightings at Longhaven and Collieston. Regrettably, I missed the peak of these sightings, and my subsequent visits to Collieston, first with David Leslie on the 20th and then alone on the 21st, were unsuccessful, despite a thorough search.

One of the dozen or so Rock Pipits at Collieston.

Nonetheless, I did spot at least a dozen Rock Pipits at Collieston foraging on the seaweed and observed several large skeins of Pink-footed Geese arriving from the sea, which is always an impressive spectacle. Additionally, I enjoyed some spectacular Peregrine Falcon activity along the Ythan after David headed off early on the 20th.

Pink-footed Geese now arriving in large numbers.

On Sunday after having lunch at friends in Collieston, Dazza and I stopped at the 'Snub car park,' which offers great views of the Ythan River, just as a heavy rain shower had passed. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a Spotted Redshank right below the parking area. I quietly moved to the boot to grab my camera and managed to capture an image of the bird just before it took flight, its call echoing as it soared away.

Spotted Redshank at Snub car park 

On the morning of the 24th, I returned to Rattray, focusing on the lighthouse cottage garden. No sign of Yellow-browed Warbler but I was compensated by the sightings of a Lesser Whitethroat & Pied Flycatcher before the onset of rain. I then spent the rest of the morning at the RSPB Loch of Strathbeg nature centre, taking shelter. Despite the torrential rain, the birdwatching was quite rewarding, with sightings of two Marsh Harriers, a Great White Egret, two Little Egrets, three Ruff, a number of Snipe, and numerous Swallows grounded by the heavy rain before my departure. A quick stop at the Waulkmill Hide (Ythan River) on route home held all the regular waders, plus a nice year-tick in the form of three Dark-bellied Brent Geese. 

Local Cranes heading south.

Finally on Wednesday 25th our latest RSPB Aberdeen & Local Group outing was to the Ythan. A full report by Mark Sullivan can be found HERE on the groups website but one of the highlights for me was when we spotted a couple of adult Cranes slowly circling and drifting southwards. Likely a local breeding pair which had either not bred of failed.

A few more images from my recent outings...

Golden Plover over the Ythan

Grey Heron in gorgeous autumnal sunshine - Ythan

Peregrine Falcon - Hunting over the Ythan.

Peregrine